Space heaters are utilized to generate and provide heated air to an area adjoining the space heater such as a room or a portion of a room. The heated air is typically generated by providing electrical energy to a heating element capable of converting the electrical energy into thermal energy. Conventional space heaters provide the heated air to the adjoining area by generating an air flow through the use of an air movement device such as a fan. The heated air is typically provided in a specific direction and within a limited distance of the space heater, unevenly heating the area adjoining the space heater and usually requiring overheating an area closer to the space heater in order to provide heated air to areas further from the space heater. Continued overheating may be detrimental to fragile objects such as plants or candles. In addition, fans may fail thereby causing the space heater to quickly reach a dangerous temperature level.
Further, conventional heating elements have a limited life expectancy and generate thermal radiation in addition to generating the heated air. Typical space heaters have the heating elements visibly exposed to the outside environment. Such irradiative space heaters provide the heat along with thermal radiation only in a direct line of sight with the heating element. Therefore, these irradiative space heaters must necessarily be plainly visible and placed in open areas. In addition, these irradiative space heaters distribute heat unevenly within the area adjoining the space heater, providing essentially no warmth to portions of the area outside the field of view of the space heater (e.g., around a corner, behind a piece of furniture, or off to either side of the space heater). In addition, such space heaters have undesirable, annoying and even unsafe effects because objects and/or people within the field of view of the space heater generally receive heat and thermal radiation in intensities that are often uncomfortable and/or unsafe. Plastics or wax can be warped or melted entirely, painted surfaces can be damaged, flammable fabrics, upholstery or draperies can catch fire, and persons, plants or animals can receive irritation such as mild skin burns from the exposure to intense heat inherent typically provided from these irradiative space heaters.
Most space heaters are automatically controlled by control systems including a timer or thermostat to activate and deactivate the heating element and the fan. The uneven heating described above prevents a thermostat from providing appropriate activation/deactivation of the heating element, thereby preventing maintenance of suitable temperature in the room or area adjoining the space heater. A timer will prevent damage to the heating element, but, even if adjusted for desirable room heating, cannot provide sufficient control to prevent the undesired effects of overheating near the space heater and thermal radiation. In addition, most conventional space heater control systems typically include a relay or relays for activating and deactivating the heating element, the fan or other elements of the space heater. Conventional relays generate an audible and distinct clicking noise when activating or deactivating the heating element. Such noise may be unsuitable for rooms such as bedrooms or hospital rooms.
Thus, what is needed is a space heater for generating heated air and providing the heated air to an area adjoining the space heater in a more even manner, while reducing the undesired noise and thermal radiation provided to such area. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure.